sobey



3 Sheets-Sheet l. W. SOBEY. GULTIVATOR (No Model.)

Patented May, 1892.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. S'OBBY. GULTIVATOR.

(No Model.)

No. 474,309. Patented May 3, 1892.

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(N Model.) 3 sheetssheenY 3.

W. SOBEY.

GULTIVATOR.

No. 474,309. Patented May 3, 1892.

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IMI/2E N www] 9 Q e s w' im gdm J mgm www *rng/j UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

VILLIAM SOBEY, OF RACINE, VISOONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. I. OASE PLOVWORKS, OF SAME PLACE.

C U LT IVATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 474,309, dated May 3,1892.

Application iiled January 25, 1892. Serial No. 419,173; (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, 25 may concern,.- The exact nature of the improvement andBe it known that I, VILLIAM SOBEY, residthe several details thereof willappear from ing at Racine, in the county ot' Racine, State thedescription following, and be pointed out of Visconsin, have inventedcertain new and by claims at the conclusion thereof.

useful Improvements in Oultivators, of which In theaccompanyingdrawings,forming part 55 I do declare the following to be afull, clear, of thisspecification, like parts are denoted and exact description, suiiicientto enable by like designation throughout. others skilled in the art towhich such inven- Figure l is a View in side elevation of a culventionappertaius to make and use the same. tivator embodying the invention.Fig. 2 isa xo The invention relates to tongueless cultivaplan viewthereof. Fig. 3 is an enlarged per- 6o tors of that class wherein asimple arch or s'pective view showing portions of the archcross-bar atthe top carries near its opposite bar, the plow-beam, the swinginghanger, and ends the pivotally-suspended radius arms or connected parts.Fig. 4 is a detail sectional hangers. These hangers swing verticallybeview taken at line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

neath the cross-bar, and are furnished below Extending from side to sideat the top of 65 with an outward horizontal extension, which the machineis the free arch or cross-bar C', affords a mount for the pipe or likecoupling near the opposite ends of which the hangers of the plow-beamand a spindle-bearing for or radius-arms C stand pivotally suspended.the supporting-wheel. The separate hangers Each hanger C is connectedwith the crosszo allow for the independent longitudinal play bar Obymeans of a knuckle or like joint, as 7o of each plow-beam and its wheel;but in pracat D, which is forked to receive a collar c, tice the extentor direction of such play for having set-screws c', whereby the hanger Cthe two beamsis not often uniform. Changes can be laterally adjusted andheld in place, in draft, resistance, or from casual obstrucwhile yetfree to turn about its joint with the tions at the sides of themachine'affect the cross-bar. Near its lower end each hanger() 75 wheelsand beams unevenly, and because of is provided with an outwardhorizontal exthis the hangers tend constantly to topple fortension,affording a mount for the pipe-coupward or back at their free jointswith the comling B or like expedient to sustain the plowmon cross-bar.beam. The beam A is connected with its 3o The device is rickety andunstable and will coupling B through the usual pivot-bolt a, 8o notstand up to its work. To remedy this dewhich engages the correspondinglugs or ears fect is the main object of the invention, and projecting,respectively, from the front of the to such end it designs to provide ayielding beam and from the back of the coupling; spring connectorlocated between each beam Between each beam and the pivot-joint D andits hanger and crossing (from front to of its supporting-hanger Oextends the yield- 85 back) the axial line of the wheel-spindles, saiding spring-connector, which in the form shown connector serving notmerely as a counterconsists of the helical spiral E, secured at onepoise for the beam in raising and lowering end to the joint D in suchwise that its free the same, but acting aswell to keep the hangerendextends forward in front of the axial line 4o joint at the cross-barsteady and co-operating of the wheel-spindles. Alink F joins the free 9oalso through the free cross-bar with the cornend of the helical springEwith the swinging panion connector and its adjunctive parts to bail f,pivoted, as by bolt f', to the beam A. maintain the hangers upright attheir pivot- There may be more than one seat7 as at 0.2, joints with thebar. The effect is substanfor the bolt f of the bail, so that theposition tially the same as if the cross-bar, instead of of the bail,and in consequence the point of 95 being free, were stoutly held at itscenter by power-application for the spring E, can be a team-pole, theproposed structure, however, varied with reference to the beam-fulcrum,permitting the free arch-bar to act somewhat (at the coupling B,) andthe leverage upon the as an evener in distributing the strains to theplow-beam be thus correspondingly changed.

5o two sides of the machine. The chain-section. at the upper terminal of10o the link F allows for the variable adjustment of the tension of thespring E with reference to the load and resistance of the beam.`

The sustaining-wheel for the machine may be mounted directly upon thehorizontal extension of the hanger C, adjacent to the pipe-- coupling B,although in preferred practice the wheel is set upon a stub axle orspindle having a slight lateral play, which spindle constitutespractically va part of the horizontal extension of the hanger C. Theextension is simply divided in two, the parts being joined together by apivot-bolt, which permits a slight` swing to the outer portion carryingthe wheel-spindle. A bracket G, having a hub g, is rigidly secured, asby bolt g', to the fixed part of the hanger extension, and engages witha corresponding bracket K, having the stub-spindle L secured thereto.Corresponding ears of the brackets G K are pivotally held by means ofthe through-bolt H, so that the spindle end of the hanger-extension isfree to move slightly about the pivot H. The supporting-wheels L are setupon the stubaxles L, and ultimately receive the full weight of thefront of the machine.

Between the ways or ledges 7a of the bracket K and against the front andrear ears thereof rests the clevis-bar M, extending forwardly, and theleg or standard M', extending rearwardly on the machine, as shown. Forconvenience the clevis-bar M and the leg M are in continuous piecefastened by bolts, as at m, to the inner face of the bracket K. At itsfront the clevis-bar M is furnished with the usual series ofhitch-points upon its terminal M2, whereby the line of draft can bechanged, as well understood. A hook N, secured, as at g2, to the bracketG, engages with the eye n on the clevis-bar M, and thus acts to hold thestub-axle L rigidly in right alignment when the machine is proceeding tothe field or at other times, as may be desired. In plowing, the hook Nis released from its eye fn., so that the stud-spindle can swing for aslight distance with its wheel Lf about the pivot-bolt N. By suchexpedient, when the horse swerves from the path the wheel L responds atonce while the plow-beam and its shovels continue in true course withoutside draft or irregularity of movement, such as would occur if thespindle L were in rigid alignment. with the xed part of thehangerextension.

The leg or standard M is furnished with the trailing foot M3, held, asat the seat q, in position free to swivel upon the leg. Each standard MM3 sustains the weight of the machine at the rear of the wheel-spindle,and both standards in conjunction with the wheelrims constitute theultimate points of support for the entire device. Should the shovels bein working position they help to sustain the weight of the beams and byso far reliefy the standards from the extra duty which necessarily comesupon them when the beams are lifted or are at rest by their eyeloops Sin the hooks R. At such time the rear of the machine greatlyoverbalances the front, and so tends to gravitate aboutthe Wheel-hubs asa center; but the standards M M3 are in play, and being rigidly fastenedto the hanger-,extensions rest firmly upon the ground and resist thegravitating turn, so that the parts are maintained in unchangingposition. When organized as shown by Fig. l, the yieldingspring-connector which (as there displayed) extends from front to backacross the axial line of the machine and joins the plow-beam A with thepivot-couplingD of the hanger at the cross-bar serves, first, as acounterpoise for the beam A about its fulcrum B, and, second, as anefficient means for holding the hanger upright. The connector keeps thehanger and beam together as one system. Any tendency which the hanger Cmay have to topple forward at its joint with the cross-bar from thewheel-axle as a center is resisted through the link F in its relation tothe free end of the helical spring E and by the weight of the plow-beamA. On the other hand, any backward topple cannot occur, because, asalready explained, the standards MMsare fastened to the hangerextensions and resist the reverse turn of the spindles within theWheel-hubs. At all times, therefore, the weight of the machine behindthe wheel-spindles is constantlyin play to hold the cross-bar Csubstantially upright, and this, too, irrespective of theindependentlongitudinal swing of the hanger C, beam, and wheel about thepivot-joint D of the hanger. During operations in the field the draftupon the clevis-bar M generally raises the foot M3 far enough for it tojust clear the ground, although the weight and resistance of the beam A,and its shovels still serve to hold the machine to its work. It'isplain that the movement of either hanger C about its pivot-joint D istransferred in measure through the free cross-bar C to the companionhanger and its adjunctive parts, so that such cross-bar acts somewhat asan equalizer in distributing the strains evenly to both' sides of themachine.

Obviously the details of structure may be varied without departingessentiallyfrom the real invention, which latter is not limited to theprecise devices herein set forth, although restricted, of course, tothat class of tongueless cultivators wherein the free arch or crossbarpivotally carries the swinging radius arms or hangers, these latterserving as mounts for the plow beamsl and supporting devices, (wheels.)Other kinds of spring-connector than the helical form with its link canbe used, or instead of crossingthe axialline, as shown, the connectormay be joined to the hanger and plow-beam, respectively, but be locatedwholly at the rear of the axle. Again, the counterpoise-spring for theplow-beam in its action about the pipe-coupling may be quite distinctinstructure from the anti-toppling spring-connector, which latter, forinstance, may extend from the arch bar to the stand- IOO IIO

ard M or like rigid projection, instead of being arranged between thehanger and swivel plow-beam but the latter arrangement, as appears fromthe description, allows a single spring-connector to perform a doubleduty or function, and being simpler is therefore preferred.

Because of the modifications proposed it will be understood that thedesignation of the plow-beam in the claims following, as an element ofstructure combined with the spring-connector to prevent toppling of thehanger-joint, may be for precision only, (unless the context shows thecontrary,) and is not necessarily in way of' limitation, especiallysince the rear standard 0r like rigid projection can be employed,instead as a hitch for the yielding connector.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In tongueless cultivators, the combination, with the free arch orcross-bar and with the swinging hangersustained therefrom, of thepivoted plow-beam, the machine-wheel and the rear standard carried,respectively, by said hanger, and the yielding spring-connector extendedbetween the arch bar or hanger and the plow-beam (or its equivalent) toprevent toppling, substantially as described.

2. In tongueless cultivators, the combination, with the companionhangers, having a wheel-spindle projecting from each, of theswivelmounted plow-beams and the rear standards extending from saidhangers, respectively, the cross-bar or arch pivotally sustained by theopposite hangers, and the springconnectors located across thespindle-axis and uniting each hanger with its corresponding plow-beam,whereby the latter is counterpoised, and the common cross-bar held innormal position, substantially as described.

3. In tongueless cultivators, the combination, with the free arch orcross-bar and with the swinging hanger suspended pivotally therefrom andhaving a horizontal extension, of the swivel-mounted plow-beam, themachine-wheel, and the rear standard sustained, respectively, from saidextension, the helical spring carried by said hanger, and theintermediate link joining the free end of said spring with theplow-beam, whereby said beam is counterpoised and the hanger preventedfrom toppling, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the free arch or cross-bar, of the swinginghanger supported therefrom, the plow-beam pivoted upon said hanger, andthe machinewheel journaled thereon, the intermediate spring-connectorjoining said beam and hanger, and the clevisbar and supportingstandardextending, respectively, front and back from said hanger, substantiallyas described.

5. In tongueless cultivators, the combination, with the free arch bar,of the swinging hanger supported thereby, the plowbeam swiveling fromsaid hanger, the intermediate spring-connector joining said beam andhang-l er, and the machine-wheel journaled and laterally pivoting uponsaid hanger, substantially as described.

WILLIAM SOBEY.

lVitnesses:

HENRY MITCHELL WALLIS, DIETRICH THEoNsoN.

